Gracie, occupying the former Breakwater Restaurant space, has brought fresh energy to the Santa Barbara Harbor since opening in September.
Co-founders Dudley Michael and Grace Austin, the duo behind The Shop Brunch and Rodeo Room, wanted to fill what they saw as a gap in waterfront dining: food that matches the beauty of the setting. “When the Breakwater became an option, it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up, with it being such an amazing restaurant space with an incredible past and heritage to it,” says Michael.
Inspired by the couple’s travels through Europe’s waterfront locales, executive chef Richard Maxwell leads the California coastal cuisine, which spans from brunch to happy hour and dinner. Brunch highlights include the Gracie Benedict with mortadella; a sea salt citrus-butter waffle; and the Bincho Burger grilled over Japanese binchotan charcoal. Dinner features colorful appetizers like rockfish ceviche with mango lemongrass and avocado, and burrata with stone fruit, pistachio, and housemade focaccia. Larger plates range from light and casual to refined and hearty — think kale & chicken salad with dates; fish tacos with smoked chili aioli and gooseberries; uni pasta with housemade spaghetti and fresh uni; and short ribs with yellow beets and horseradish gremolata — all under $36. Soon, California buffalo milk soft serve will join the menu.
Complementing the food are playful cocktails, like the P.O.G. Margarita with passion fruit, orange, and guava, and the Bluebird Spritz with Lillet, blueberry, and bubbles. Also a standout: This is Bananas, a riff on an espresso-martini with banana and toasted cornflake cream. A small but thoughtful wine and beer list rounds out the beverages.
As for the setting, the expansive covered terrace offers pristine views of boats and passersby, while the interior shines with a horseshoe-shaped bar glowing beneath a custom chandelier made of 300 Venetian Murano pink glass pieces.
“We hope Gracie becomes a staple for Santa Barbara locals and visitors alike — a place where families and friends can gather, take in the gorgeous waterfront views, and enjoy incredible food, cocktails, and service,” concludes Michael.
Gracie is located at 107 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. www.graciewaterfront.com
More Dining Out Articles
Belmond’s bellissima ‘Bossa Nova’ Brunch
Stunning Views and Dining at El Encanto’s Bosa Nova Brunch
The New Moby Dick
Rebranding and rejuvenating the forgotten Stern’s Wharf eatery, Moby Dick, into a seafood culinary destination.
The Perfect Bite
Scarlett Begonia offers the perfect bite…
bouchon
bouchon Santa Barbara
Ethiopian lunch at Petit Valentien
The special Ethiopian menu at Petit Valentien
A nod to the journey
Barbareño: Cuisine of California’s Central Coast
Sip + Sushi:
Doug Margerum is at it again, this time with a gem of a new tasting room in Santa Barbara Wine Country’s charming Los Olivos. The spot offers a new twist on wine-pairing: a bento box with your vino tasting.
Margerum has been raising his glass to customers and friends for over 40 years in Santa Barbara’s hospitality trade, as a restaurateur and winemaker. Known for impeccable wines that he fashions for his own label, as well as consulting gigs to budding and wannabe winemakers, his talents have consistently set a high bar and earned respect for his Santa Ynez Valley estate wines.
A natural winner
The first step to success is often failure. Failures like Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, and J.K. Rowling all agree on that. And you can add Kelly Brown to that list.
For Brown, the watershed night was May 7, 1993. “I screwed up,” he recalled.
Restaurant Roy: Santa Barbara’s arty eatery turns 30
This summer marks the 30th year that chef-owner Roy Gandy has operated his eponymous Restaurant Roy (restaurantroy.com) at its location on West Carrillo Street in downtown Santa Barbara. A fixture in the community since its opening in 1993 with a menu offering soup, salad, and an entrée for $10, the eatery that feels like a comfortable combo of neighborhood bar, cool nightclub, and corner diner continues to thrive.
Gandy carved out a niche early on with his approachable prices, live music, and late-night dining. “We’re open until midnight,” says Gandy. “We get a lot of people after a show or a movie, or checking in late at a nearby hotel.”
Squaring up at Bossie’s Kitchen
by Jeff Miller Among other things, the corner of Milpas and East Canon Perdido streets has long been famous for a cow. Not just any cow, but the beloved plaster “Old Bossy,” on her proud perch atop the 1939 building since the creators of the Live Oak Dairy put her...
